“I love it when owners come,” she said. “They leave with specific techniques to help their pets.”

Wilde operates a company called Gentle Guidance in Santa Clarita, Calif. She presents seminars around the world to trainers, rescue/shelter workers and dog owners. She has written eight books and writes an Ask The Expert column for Modern Dog magazine.

She believes there are a number of reasons dogs can be fearful. One is simply genetics, possibly due to over-breeding. Maybe the animal has been traumatized. The biggest problem may be that the pet has not been adequately socialized with people and other dogs.

“The window for optimal socialization is 4 to 12 weeks of age,” Wilde said. “You can socialize a dog after that, but it is more difficult.”

Training based on force won’t work, she said.

“Be patient and work at the dog’s pace,” Wilde explained. “You’re not forcing the dog to confront its fears. Introduce the dog to things in a gradual manner.”

She describes this as desensitization, which is done hand in hand with classical conditioning, a principle developed by the Russian scientist Pavlov.

Shelter dogs are not necessarily more fearful, Wilde said, even though some may suffer separation anxiety as a result of being abandoned.

“If you get a dog as a puppy you have a better shot,” she said. “But even if a shelter dog has fear issues, you still can make progress.”

Wilde may be at the top of her profession, but she served her time in the trenches.

“A lot of my background came from training wolf-dog hybrids,” she said, “I worked for a shelter and even went to people’s homes for free. My whole goal was to help them keep those animals. This
is why I got into it.”

But she had to work outside jobs to keep her efforts going, so she formed Gentle Guidance.

Pet Fair
A pet fair featuring rescue organizations and pet-oriented vendors will once again be held at the Old South Pearl Street Farmers Market on June 13 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Visitors to the 1500 block of South Pearl Street in Denver can participate in a variety of pet-related activities, educational events and adoption opportunities. Exhibitors participating include boarding facilities, pet health care experts, natural food suppliers and nutritional experts.The fair is being organized by The Whole Cat & Dogs too. For more information, contact Sue Green at 303-871-0443 or wholecat@aol.com.

Adopt-a-Cat
June is the American Humane Association’s Adopt-A-Cat Month. This year, American Humane has partnered with the CATalyst Council to promote cat adoptions during the busy kitten season and to encourage a lifetime of proper veterinary care for all cats. Every spring and summer, cats reproduce in record numbers, and millions end up in animal shelters. Local shelters are brimming with cats of every breed, age and personality waiting for a home.

Fetch takes a topical look at a variety of issues affecting pets, including the latest research results.. It seeks to provide useful information for Colorado pet owners and to spotlight the work of Colorado animal welfare groups.